An ultrasonic investigation of retracted consonants in St’at’imcets (Lillooet Salish)

Abstract

Tongue retraction is rare in native languages of North America. Previous literature on St’at’imcets (also known as Lillooet) has left unanswered the question of how retracted consonants (uvulars, a pharyngeal, and a subset of retracted coronals) are articulated, and whether they in fact involve tongue retraction. Based on perceptual and acoustic data, previous descriptions differ with respect to the involvement of the tongue dorsum and tongue root in the articulation of St’at’imcets retracted consonants, particularly with the orthographic ‘‘g,’’ disputed to be either a uvular or pharyngeal approximant [Shahin, 1997; van Eijk, 1997]. Articulatory data of retracted and nonretracted consonants were collected from 4 St’at’imcets speakers via a portable ultrasound machine. Results indicate a significant difference in tongue root, dorsum, and body position for retracted versus nonretracted consonants, with the former possessing more tongue root and dorsum backing and tongue body lowering than the latter. Furthermore, results show ‘‘g’’ to be articulated similarly to the uvular consonant, with the tongue dorsum moving towards the posterior uvula/upper pharyngeal region of the vocal tract. These results provide direct evidence for the articulatory makeup of St’at’imcets retracted consonants and shed light on St’at’imcets retraction effects and phonological harmony processes. [Work supported by SSHRC.]